This invention relates to a high-speed log-bucking system, and more particularly to such a system which handles logs on a continuous log-travel basis, with pre-bucking profile scanning taking place to optimize final wood-product recovery. Specifically, the invention relates to a system which features a flying-saw, log-bucking mechanism combined with an upstream (relative to the bucking mechanism) configuration-scanning system which produces, along with log-length and diameter information, data relating to a log's "sweep"--what might be thought of as the log's bent-along-its-length characteristics.
How a log bends or curves along its length, "sweeps", plays an important role in determining the maximum successful recovery of usable wood end-products (such as lumber) from the log; and, how quickly a log's sweep data, if available, can be translated into bucking (cross-cutting) control determines significantly how quickly the log can be processed into the desired final product(s).
To date, sweep data, automatically generated through modern scanning apparatus, has not been used effectively to control or significantly affect log bucking. Accordingly, and because of the importance to economic log bucking of taking sweep data into account, a general object of the present invention is to provide a system which takes such data into account in a highly effective and successful manner.
More particularly, an object of the invention is to provide a high-throughput, high-end-product-recovery log-bucking apparatus which effectively utilizes automatic-scanning-produced sweep data to effect the operation of a high-speed log-bucking machine.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same includes a transport conveyor which defines an endo log-transport path for the continuous movement of a log endo along the path during a bucking operation. Employed to carry out the actual bucking operation is a high-speed, flying-saw, log-bucking mechanism which operates as a log continues its travel. This mechanism works in cooporation with an upstream scanner which looks at a log traveling on the conveyor in such a manner as to produce, along with data relating to a log's length and diameter characteristics, data relating to a log's sweep.
Operation of this scanning apparatus is facilitated by the fact that the conveyor defines a substantially flat support deck for the transport of a log, whereby substantially all logs passing through the system lie naturally with their sweep plainly exposed to a direct overhead scanning device.
Operatively coupling the scanning and log-bucking components of the system is a program-controlled digital computer which translates log-scan-characteristic data, and particularly sweep data, into quickly implementable control signals that directly affect the operation of the flying-saw log bucker.
The various features and advantages of the proposed system will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.